Mountings for rack mounted device

ABSTRACT

A rack engaging member is provided having first and second elements spaced apart one from the other at a predetermined distance which is determined by a first distance at which two openings in a standard rack for receiving electronic devices are spaced apart one from the other. One of the first and second elements is positionable to span the difference in spacing between a pair of rack openings spaced at the first distance one from the other and a different pair of rack openings in the standard rack which are spaced at a second, different, distance one from the other. As a result, devices may be mounted in manners which span the differential spacings of holes between the sets of three provided in the standard rack.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Recent advances in high volume server computer systems, typically rack mounted systems, have introduced advanced processors and operating systems capable of addressing significantly larger volumes of memory. Additionally, the advanced processors can in some models be fabricated with two or more processors on a die or on a common carrier and supported in a single socket, increasing the power and thermal demands placed on systems.

Rack optimized server systems typically have mechanical elements,such as the enclosure for the electronic elements, based on a incremental height of 1.75 inches, known to the industry as 1U or 1 unit. The 1U server is the one most impacted by the advances in processors, operating systems and memory. Users who stress their 1U systems to maximum performance for extended periods of time will encounter thermal difficulties. In order to achieve the levels of performance desired while maintaining acceptable thermal limits, such users may find it necessary to replace their 1U servers with 2U servers, as prior to the present invention all rack mounted servers known to the inventors were incremented in height by the standard unit.

A standard rack of the type known as a 42U (capable of receiving forty two enclosures of 1U dimensions) will have uprights with three holes per U and with a separation between the sets of three which is different from the spacing within the set, inhibiting the placement of rails, slides, brackets and enclosures other than the standard 1U spacing.

The difficulty resulting in this restriction applies to other devices which may be rack mounted to work in conjunction with server systems, such as a memory expansion drawer receiving DIMMS. Many DIMMS can be populated vertically with tight spacing, accommodating many DIMMS in a 1U rack. However, larger capacity DIMMS are taller and cannot be fit into a 1U enclosure vertically but can be fit into an enclosure of 1 and ⅓ U height. Similar opportunities exist for other memory configurations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing in mind, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a solution which enables a user desiring a 1U server to obtain such a product while providing an improvement path which enables steps upward between the 1U and 2U embodiments. In realizing this purpose of this invention, a rack engaging member is provided having first and second elements spaced apart one from the other at a predetermined distance which is determined by a first distance at which two openings in a standard rack for receiving electronic devices are spaced apart one from the other. One of the first and second elements is positionable to span the difference in spacing between a pair of rack openings spaced at the first distance one from the other and a different pair of rack openings in the standard rack which are spaced at a second, different, distance one from the other. As a result, devices may be mounted in manners which span the differential spacings of holes between the sets of three provided in the standard rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Some of the purposes of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a first embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an front elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 1 showing engagement with one form of rack;

FIG. 4 is a series of front elevation views of a second embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a series of front elevation views of a third embodiment of this invention, similar to the views of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

While the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown, it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may modify the invention here described while still achieving the favorable results of the invention. Accordingly, the description which follows is to be understood as being a broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon the present invention.

A rack mounted complex includes several enclosures which are mounted in a rack provided by a set of spaced uprights which have a series of vertically spaced holes formed in them. The enclosures may be mounted by means of mounting ears formed on the enclosures, rails or slides. If rails or slides are used, then the rails and slides are secured to the rack uprights in a manner similar to any mounting ears provided on enclosures, The spacing of the uprights one from another and of the holes along them are to a standard, to accommodate enclosures of standard dimensions. Typically, a rack mount intended to be filled or partially filled with 1U enclosures will have a spacing which is intended to limit the choice of enclosures to be mounted to those that are 1U, posing a problem for users who may encounter the need of replacing 1U servers. A common technique for assuring this limitation is to provide sets of three holes or openings spaced center to center at ⅝ inch and space the sets at ½ inch between each group of three. This differential is intended to assure that a mounting which will engage the three holes of a set cannot span two sets by accommodating the intermediate lesser spacing. See FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the present invention, presented here in several embodiments or implementations, this difficulty in accommodating enclosures of fractional incremental heights is overcome by providing a rack engaging member which has first and second elements spaced apart one from the other at a predetermined distance determined by a first distance at which two openings in a standard rack for receiving electronic devices are spaced apart one from the other, such as, for example only, ⅝ inch. However, one of the elements is positionable to span the difference in spacing between a pair of rack openings spaced at the first distance one from the other (such as the ⅝ inch spacing) and a different pair of rack openings in the standard rack which are spaced at a second, differing, distance one from the other (such as the ½ inch spacing).

In a first embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the rack engaging member is a carriage member 10. The carriage member mounts a pair of pins serving as the first and second elements. One of the pins 11 is in a fixed position relative to the carriage 10 and the other of the pins 12 is adjustable in position relative to the fixed pin. In particular, the adjustable or movable pin 12 is mounted in the carriage in an elongated slot for movement toward and away from the fixed pin along an axis extending through terminal portions of said pins (see FIG. 2).

Each of the pins is a shouldered pin, having portions of two differing diameters. This is done in order to accommodate the mounting to racks from different manufacturers, as the diameter of the holes or openings provided in the rack uprights will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer or between standards. It is contemplated for this invention that the mounting here disclosed will provide for more universal usage than may have been the case heretofore. The terminal portion of each pin is of smaller diameter than a portion which is proximal the carriage 10, resulting in the carriage being spaced further from an upright having smaller diameter holes and closer to an upright having larger diameter holes. This is suggested in FIG. 3 where an indication is given by the line 14 of a rack upright having smaller openings and engaged by the terminal portions of the pins 11, 12 without engaging the proximal portions.

In the embodiment to which the present discussion is directed, the carriage mounts a third element 15, which is a fastener useful in securing the carriage to the rack uprights. As shown, the fastener is a sliding nut which will receive a bolt securing the carriage in place. It could as well be a bolt. In either case, the fastener is captive, being held in restraint such that it cannot be dropped from the carriage during assembly. The fastener is also mounted in the carriage for movement relative thereto in two orthogonal directions, indicated in the Figures. Of the two directions, one is defined by an axis extending through the terminal portions of the pins and the other is parallel to an axis extending in the direction of the protrusion of the pins. The fastener is thus adjustable in position relative to the one fixed pin, to accommodate the variations in hole spacing described above. This is illustrated in part in FIG. 3, where the fastener has been moved to an extended position to engage a rack positioned as indicated by the line 14.

While not fully illustrated here, the reader will understand that the elongated slots mounting the fastener and the second or loose pin 12, as shown in FIG. 2, enable a variety of positions to be taken to accommodate the difference in spacing of holes in rack uprights and thus achieve fractional spacing of enclosures as contemplated by this invention. By way of comment on this flexibility, positioning an enclosure at a regular or “straight” 1U position uses the loose pin in its lowered location and the fastener in its raised location (orienting to FIGS. 1 through 3 with the top of the sheet being upward). Positioning an enclosure at one fractional position (1 and ⅓U) uses the loose pin in lowered position and the fastener in lowered position to accommodate the spacing differentials. Positioning an enclosure in a second fractional position (1 and ⅔ U) uses both the loose pin and the fastener in their raised positions. The other alternative made available, as mentioned above, is movement of the fastener between retracted (FIG. 1) and extended (FIG. 3) positions to accommodate differences in rack hole diameters.

In a second embodiment in accordance with this invention, the rack engaging member is a bracket 20 (FIG. 4) and the first and second elements define a pair of spaced openings 21, 22 in the bracket aligned along a predetermined axis. Each of the openings is an elongated slot and the elongation of the slots has a lengthwise dimension along the axis such that the first and second elements span the difference in spacing between a pair of rack openings spaced at the first distance one from the other and a different pair of rack openings in the standard rack which are spaced at a second, differing, distance one from the other. This configuration further has a keeper member 24 mounted on the bracket 20 and movable between a position overlying the slots (FIG. 4E, second from bottom) and a position withdrawn from the slots (FIG. 4E, first from bottom), the keeper member when overlying the slots assuring that a desired positioning in a rack is maintained.

FIG. 4 presents a series of side by side views of an upright (which appears almost as a column) in a rack mount system configured for 1U enclosures as described above. The left most portion, indicated at A), shows prior art brackets engaging the lowermost and uppermost openings in a set of three. This would be the “normal” spacing and installation. The next portion to the right, indicated at B), shows the impossibility of using such prior art brackets to achieve a non-standard spacing as this invention proposes. The next portion to the right, indicated at C), shows the bracket of this invention's second embodiment in three different positions. The lowermost position is installed in the “normal” position. The next two illustration above show the bracket installed in two differing positions spanning the difference between spacing within a set of three holes and the spacing between a set of three holes. Note that the elongated openings present as the first and second elements align differently with the holes in the uprights. In one instance, the holes align with the lower portions of the elongated holes in the bracket. In the other, with the upper portions.

The next portion of the Figure, indicated at D), illustrates the keeper member 24, apart from the bracket 20. Preferably, the keeper member is of a springy material and clips onto the bracket in such a way that protrusions on the keeper member enter into the openings in the bracket and assist in maintaining the vertical alignment. As referenced above, see the middle illustration in the portion of FIG. 4 indicated at E).

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 and illustrates the third embodiment of the invention here disclosed. Portions of the Figure indicated t A), B), C), D), and E) are similar to those portions of FIG. 4. The distinctions between the forms is that the bracket 30 of FIG. 5 replaces the keeper with a central pin 34 which maintains alignment in all positions. Because the screw hole for securing an enclosure is now occupied by the pin 34, a nut is provided forward of the pin to secure an enclosure to the bracket 30 and thus to the rack.

In the drawings and specifications there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are used, the description thus given uses terminology in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

1. Apparatus comprising: a rack engaging member having first and second elements spaced apart one from the other at a predetermined distance which is determined by a first distance at which two openings in a standard rack for receiving electronic devices are spaced apart one from the other; one of said first and second elements being positionable to span the difference in spacing between a pair of rack openings spaced at the first distance one from the other and a different pair of rack openings in the standard rack which are spaced at a second, differing, distance one from the other.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rack engaging member comprises a carriage and said first and second elements are a pair of pins mounted in said carriage, one of said pins being in fixed position relative to said carriage and the other of said pins being adjustable in position relative to said one fixed pin.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a third element mounted in said carriage and being adjustable in position relative to said one fixed pin, said third element being movable relative to said carriage in two orthogonal directions.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said pair of pins is a shouldered protrusion from said carriage defining a terminal portion having a first diameter and a proximal portion having a greater diameter, each pin being enabled to enter into and engage rack openings of two differing diameters.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said other pin is mounted in said carriage in an elongated slot for movement toward and away from said fixed pin along an axis extending through said terminal portions of said pins.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 4 comprising a third element mounted in said carriage and being adjustable in position relative to said one fixed pin, said third element being movable relative to said carriage in two orthogonal directions, one of which is defined by an axis extending through said terminal portions of said pins and the other of which is parallel to an axis extending in the direction of the protrusion of said pins.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said third element comprises a fastener for coupling a device to said carriage.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said rack engaging member comprises a bracket and said first and second elements define a pair of spaced openings in said bracket aligned along a predetermined axis, each of said openings being an elongated slot and the elongation of said slots having a lengthwise dimension along said axis such that the first and second elements span the difference in spacing between a pair of rack openings spaced at the first distance one from the other and a different pair of rack openings in the standard rack which are spaced at a second, greater, distance one from the other.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising a keeper member mounted on said bracket and movable between a position overlying said slots and a position withdrawn from said slots, said keeper member when overlying said slots assuring that a desired positioning in a rack is maintained.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said bracket is planar and further comprising a locator pin mounted on said bracket intermediate said slots and projecting from said bracket to aid in aligning rack mounted devices. 